Cake Tins

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This cake makes an excellent Christmas cake for those who prefer their fruit cake to be a lighter, less rich and more crumbly affair. This cake is beautifully flavoured and has the added benefit that there’s no need to ice it like a traditional Christmas cake.

This recipe uses an 8 inch round cake tin (20cm) which needs to be greased well and lined with greaseproof paper.

Preheat the Oven temperature to Gas Mark 3, 170oC (325oF)

For this Dundee cake you will need:

• 5oz (150g) of room temperature Butter
• 5oz (150g) of Golden Caster Sugar
• 3 large Organic or Free Range Eggs (whisked)
• 8oz (225g) of Plain flour (keep back 1 tablespoon of flour to coat your fruit)
• A teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 2 tablespoons of Ground Almonds
• 2oz (50g) of Glace Cherries that have been washed, dried & halved
• 6oz (175g) of Sultanas
• 6oz (175g) of Currants
• 2oz (50g) of chopped mixed candied peel
• Zest of an Orange
• Zest of a Lemon
• Whole blanched almonds to cover the top of your cake, approximately 2 to 3oz (50 to75g)
• You may need a little milk to loosen the cake mix if too dry

Method

• Make double sure your oven is preheated to the temperature stated above.
• In your mixer cream together the room temperature butter and sugar until it is creamy, light and paler in colour (you can also do this using an electric mixer or just a bowl and wooden spoon)
• Slowly add at little at a time the eggs, beating well into the creamed sugar and butter mix before adding the next amount of egg
• In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder, then sift that into your creamed egg mixture also adding the ground almond
• Using a metal spoon fold this mix together carefully, if the mixture is looking a little stiff add a tablespoon of milk or so as the mix need to be a soft dropping consistency
• Put all your cherries, dried fruit and candied peel into the separate bowl you first sifted your flour into and coat with the reserved tablespoon of flour, this helps to stop your fruit from sinking to the bottom of your cake
• Add all the flour coated fruit and zest of orange and lemon to your cake mix and gently mix together.
• Spoon the mixture into your prepared cake tin and smooth out the top with the back of a tablespoon
• Place gently on top in circles your blanched whole almonds, do not press them down into the cake or they will sink into the mixture during baking and the almond decoration topping is what should be showing after your cake is baked
• Place the cake in the centre of your oven and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours; it should be firm and springy to the touch. Another way you can check the cake is cooked by skewering it with a cocktail stick or similar, it should come out clean with no raw mix stuck to it
• Leave to cool in the cake tin before taking out
• This cake keeps well in an airtight tin and is better eaten a few days after it’s baked, although it’s never really managed that in my house and it’s still lovely

Enjoy!

If you like your Christmas cake to be the traditional dark, rich and moist kind of cake then this is the recipe for you

This recipe makes either a 7inch square or 8inch round cake

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For this Christmas cake you will need

• 8oz (225g) sultana’s
• 8oz (225g) raisins
• 12 oz (350g) currants
• 2oz candied peel
• 2oz glace cherries, washed and chopped
• 3 tablespoons of brandy

All these ingredients should be put into a covered bowl 24 hours before you plan to make your cake to allow the brandy to soak into the fruit which will make the fruit plump and moist

• 8oz (225g) plain flour
• half a teaspoon nutmeg
• half a teaspoon ground mixed spice
• half a teaspoon of salt
• 8oz (225g) soft brown sugar
• 8 oz (225g) butter
• 4 large free range eggs beaten
• 2oz chopped Almonds
• 1 tablespoon of black treacle
• grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

Helpful Preparation before you get started

1. Oven needs to be preheated to gas mark 2, which is 150oC or 300oF
2. Grease and line your chosen shaped cake tin
3. Double sift your flour, nutmeg, mixed spice and salt into a bowl

Method

1. Put the sugar and butter into either a bowl or your mixer and cream together the mix until it is really light and fluffy.
2. Add your beaten eggs a little at a time, allowing it to be thoroughly mixed in before you add the next bit of egg until you have added all the eggs. If your mixture at any time looks like it’s going to curdle don’t worry just add a little of your ready sifted flour mix to them to stop this happening.
3. Next fold the sifted flour mix into your creamed butter, sugar and egg mixture. It is important to fold the flour in and not just use your mixer for this.
4. Next fold all other ingredients into your mixture, so that’s the soaked fruit & peel, the chopped almonds, black treacle and the grated zest of a lemon and an orange.
5. Pour your mixture into your pre-prepared cake tin and level the surface of your cake mixture
6. Tie brown paper that’s taller than your cake tin around the edge of your cake tin, this helps prevent the sides of your cake being exposed to too much heat
7. Cover the top of your cake tin tower with parchment paper making sure there is a hole in the middle that is about the size of a 50p piece
8. Bake on a low shelf in your preheated oven for between 4 and 4 ½ hours as a guide your cake shouldn’t be ready until after the 4 hours so try not to open the oven door to check it until 4 hours have passed.
9. The cake is ready when a metal skewer come out clean with no raw cake mix attached

Once your cake has cooled wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an air tight tin for up to 8 weeks before Christmas and feed with brandy* before you marzipan and ice it

*Feeding a Christmas cake involves gently skewering your cake in places and then putting a teaspoon or so of brandy onto your cake and allowing the alcohol to seep into the holes.

Before you start

Brush with oil 2 x 20cm (8 inch) sandwich cake tins and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper

Oven preheated to 180^oc (gas mark 4)

What you will need

250g of room temperature butter
250g unrefined light soft brown sugar
4 beaten eggs at room temperature
300g sifted Self Raising flour
100ml of cold very strong black coffee (instant coffee powder is ideal for this)

For the frosting

2 x 250g tubs of mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons of unrefined light brown sugar (or to taste)
50g of roasted walnuts chopped medium fine

Method for the cake

1) In a food mixer cream together the room temperature butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy, then add the beaten eggs a little at a time whilst still beating

2) Fold in the sifted flour and then mix in your cooled strong black coffee

3) Divide the mixture between your two greased and lined sandwich tins and then bake for approximately half an hour or until a skewer placed in the centre of the cakes comes out free and clean of cake mix. Allow the cakes to complete cool on a wire rack

Frosting

Beat together the mascarpone cheese and sugar until smooth and then the choice is yours. You can either fill just the middle and top of your cake. Or you can do that and frost the sides as well. The choice is yours

Finally take your chopped walnuts and sprinkle over the top of your cake. If you would like a homemade look just like grandma used to make then instead of chopping the walnuts place walnut halves over either the top edge or all over the top of your cake (you will probably need more walnuts for this option)

Enjoy!

Cake Ingredients

• 175g Room Temperature Butter
• 175g Golden Caster Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs At Room Temperature (preferably organic/free range)
• 225g Self Raising Flour sifted
• Zest & Juice Of 3 Un Waxed Lemons (keep separate)
• 100g Golden Caster Sugar (for use as decoration)

Preparations

Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper
Set Oven Temperature to Gas Mark 4/1800C

Method

1) Place your room temperature butter and the 175g of golden caster sugar in a bowl and using either an electric mixer or hand held mixer beat your ingredients until pale, fluffy and light.

2) Add your room temperature eggs into the mix one by one and beat well. It’s important that your ingredients are at room temperature to reduce the likely hood of your mixture curdling, but if that does happen just add a tablespoon of your flour to the cake mixture, add in your lemon zest only and mix well.

3) Gently fold in your sifted flour and put the cake mixture into your prepared 2lb loaf tin, then and place gently into your oven.

4) Mix the lemon juice and 100g Golden caster sugar together and leave in a warm place.

5) Bake for approximately 45 minutes until golden brown and beautifully risen, to test if your cake is cooked insert a skewer into the cake, if it come out cleanly then your cake is ready but if it come out with cake mixture on it, then your cake needs a little longer to bake.

6) As soon as your cake is cooked and out of the oven whilst it is still hot and still in its loaf tin pierce your cake all over, then take your warmed mixed up lemon juice and sugar syrup and spoon over your hot cake. Allow the cake to cool in its tin before you removed your cake

7) Enjoy!